Morris tribune., 1887-04-13
LINCOLN AND STANTON.
THEIR MEETING THE NIGHT OF THE
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG.

The President in an Agony of Anxiety.
The Secretary of War Carries "a Mid
night Dispatch to the White House.
Ecstacy.
One evening at crowded party given
by Senator Dixon / was forced by the
press into a corner, and on looking around
found my next neighbor was Secretary
Stanton. BY and by Dixon came along,
and spying us, said: stanton, tell him
the scene between Old Abe and you the
night of the battle of Gettysburg" STAN
ton then related the following:
Mr. Lincoln had been excessively solic-
itous about the result of that battle. 1t
was known that Lee had crossed into
Pennsylvania, threatened Washington and
that battle had been joined near Gettys-
burg, upon which in all probability the
fate of Washington and the issue of the
war depended. The Geographic wires ran
into the war department, and dispatches
had been received of the results of the
first days fl hit, which showed how des-
perate was the attack, the stubbornness
of the defense and that the result was
indecisive.
AN AGONY OF ANXIETY.
All that day and the next Mr.. Lincoln
was in an agony of anxiety, running over,
as was his wont, to the war Office to as
certain for himself the latest news instead
of waiting for the reports to be sent him
by his subordinates. Then came long
interval when nothing was heard from
Meade, and the president was wrought up
to an intense pitch of excitement. Night
came on and Stanton, seeing the president
worn out with care and anxiety, per-
suaded him to return to the White House,
promising if anything came over the wires
during the night to give him immediate
information. At last, toward midnight,
came the electric flash of that great VIC
tory which saved the Union.
Stanton seized the dispatch and ran as
fast as he could to the executive mansion,
up the stairs and knocked at the room
where the president was catching a fltful
slumber. "Who is thcre?' he heard in
the voice of Mr.. Lincoln. stanton. ="
The door was opened and Mr. Lincoln
appeared with light in his hand peering
through the crack of the, door, Gin the
shortest nightdress and longest legs" as
Stanton said, lie ever saw on human
being. Before Stanton, who was out Of
breath, could say q word, the president,
who had caught with unerring instinct
the expression on his face, gave shout
of eXultation, grabbed him with both
arms around the waist and danced him
around the chamber until they were both
exhausted.
UNTIL THE DAY DAMNED.
They then sat down upon trunk and
the president, who was still in his night
dress, read over and over again the tele-
gram and then discussed with him the
probabilities of the future and the re-
suits of the victory until the day dawned
Such q scene at midnight between two
of the greatest Americans whom this gen
Grafton has produced, to whom an all wise
Providence had committed in largest meas
ure the fate of republican liberty in this
western world, may not afford a subject
for the loftiest conceptions of the poet or
the painter, but more than any other incl
dent within my knowledge it shows the
human nature of these two great men, and
brings them home to the hearthstones of
the plain people of whom Mr.. Lincoln
was, on whom he depended and whom he
loved. 1t shows him brooding all through
those three awful days, with an anxiety
akin to agony which no one could share
worn and weary with the long and doubt
full conflict between hope and fear-tread-
ing the wine press for his people alone.
And at last, when the lightning flash had
lifted the dark cloud, dancing like school
boy in the ecstacy Of delight and exhibit
ing touch of that human nature which
make all the world akin. - Augustus
Brandegee in New York Tribune.